A fishing pier allows you to get out over the water and it is usually very quiet here.
I was looking for signs of spring, and there were some-- a little green and yellow here and there, but the season had yet to explode when I made my visit.
Downstream is above.
Upstream is below.
These two were taking a morning swim. They apparently didn't want to be bothered because they floated downstream and out of camera range.
However, I did enjoy our brief encounter.
I did nothing. End of story.
Well, just a little more than nothing. I got in some photo therapy, which I needed badly. A little walking. A little shopping. A little reading. A lot of sleeping.
I grew my traditional vacation beard. The scruff is now in its final hours. I have to take it off just as it's starting to look decent.
I got together with some friends, and that was fantastic.
Thanks to Stacy Lange and Amanda Eustice for handling the big weekend morning broadcasts. The hours can be really tough if you're not used to them.
See you tomorrow morning!
But before I go, a few thoughts on the passing of Jerry Springer.
His talk show ran for 27 years. Before that, Springer was a Cincinnati councilman, mayor and TV news commentator. He was a smart guy, but will be forever tainted by the outrageous nature of the show.
Believe it or not, Jerry Springer and I have a mutual friend. The friend said Jerry knew it wasn't going to last forever, and he was enjoying life to its fullest. Jerry knew the show was just escapist entertainment.
Jerry Springer has a long and impressive body of work, but his legacy will be those daily television fist fights.
Let's back up a bit.
Tom Snyder was the first host, and I thought he was engaging, funny and thoughtful. Unfortunately, Snyder drew an older crowd. CBS didn't like that.
Snyder out. Craig Kilborn in.
Craigers brought in a frat boy style of humor. It was okay, and better than what NBC was offering. I was in the minority. CBS didn't win the time period with either Snyder or Kilborn.
Another Craig followed Kilborn. Ferguson. He was wildly inventive and funny. Sometimes, Ferguson was too far out there. I will give him credit for deconstructing the genre. The skeleton robot sidekick was genius. Craig Ferguson produced some great television, and I was sorry to see him go after ten years.
James Corden arrived in March of 2015, a bold choice on the part of CBS. If you look back on this blog's archives, you will see that I gave the early Corden shows good reviews. He is a charming and talented guy. Comedy. Music. Carpool Karaoke was wonderful and extremely creative.
Things changed. "The Late Late Show" devolved in to another smarmy Hollywood chat-fest, and Corden's monologs became too political. There was no reason to watch. It was the same, tired stuff. On top of that, published reports said Corden wasn't a nice man.
Having said all of that, I stick by my opinion that Corden is a guy who has a lot going for him. "The Late Late Show" wasn't the right vehicle. He didn't take the show in a positive and interesting direction.
CBS is giving up on the franchise. It will be replaced by a game show that started on Comedy Central. Pity. There is talent out there who can rejuvenate the show and make it fun again. It looks like CBS is taking the cheap and easy way out.
The major league baseball season is off and running. The NBA and NHL playoffs are underway. There is an interesting golf tournament every weekend. And, headlines and sports talk radio are dominated by the NFL.
It's that way all year, even during the off-season. It's ramped up significantly this week because the four day NFL draft begins tomorrow night.
We are a football nation and I stand in awe of the power of the NFL.
I laugh when I hear baseball referred to as "America's Pastime." Football left baseball in the dust a long time ago. The NFL season is longer than ever, plus there are a number of spring and summer events that spur interest until the training camps open and the pre season games begin.
Talk show hosts still yammer on about Tom Brady.
It is marketing genius. No other sport comes close.
While I won't watch the draft, I'll read the list of who goes where. We put too much emphasis on this stuff, but it's good entertainment until things start, for real, in September.
Loosely defined, a pocket park is an urban park on a small lot. Most of the time, it's a placeholder until a construction project comes along.
Take a look at Scranton's project above. It's at the intersection of Wyoming and Spruce. It seems like it's been an eternity to get to this point. Part of the problem was contaminated soil left by the dry cleaning business that used to be here. Plus, you know Scranton. Is anything here ever done on schedule?
There is a lot of stone, asphalt and concrete in this part of the city. Some green space would be nice.
The Olyphant project isn't advanced as far.
Having said all of that, I've been whining, for months, about the secondary characters on the new "Night Court." They're awful. I've read a few reviews lately and they all agree with me. Melissa Rauch? Great! John Larroquette? Fantastic! Sad to say, they are not enough to keep this show interesting, and I stopped watching weeks ago.
Staying with television, I've viewed a few more episodes of GSN's new "Split Second." This is a remake of an early 70's classic. My opinion hasn't changed. The questions are too easy and the pacing is too slow. Challenge me! Two mistakes: contestants have to wait until the question is read before buzzing in. Second, if there is a wrong answer, the next contestant in line can't jump in to answer it. Did anyone involved in this project screen the original?
It looks like the Oakland Athletics are moving to Las Vegas. It's a done deal. The land in Nevada is under a purchase agreement. It will be at least a couple of years before the A's pack their bags, bringing this sorry episode to an end. The team should have moved years ago. This just shows the incompetency of the people running Major League Baseball-- and the greed. The A's wanted to move to San Jose, but the San Francisco Giants wouldn't allow it, claiming it was their territory. Hey, it's happened! Adjacent teams can co-exist. Yankees/Mets, Dodgers/Angels, Cubs/White Sox, Orioles/Nationals.
I'm still not paying for a blue check mark.
Heinz is now sponsoring a gate at Acrisure Field in Pittsburgh, formerly Heinz Field. People freaked when the giant ketchup bottles were removed. One is now back in place. Much ado about nothing. I still can't figure out why people got bent out of shape over this. The only thing that really counts is what happens on the grass.
Where are Brian Williams and Shepard Smith?
Marywood University just had "Kindness Week." I think that's great, and I am very proud of my alma mater. Why isn't every week "Kindness Week" everywhere?
There wasn't enough time to get out fort a good photo, so this was taken through the windshield of my car.
The train was along North Valley Avenue, heading toward Jessup and "up the line."
This used to be a very active section of track, and I recall sitting on a school bus at the Lackawanna Avenue crossing, waiting for a long train to pass, so I could get home.
Admittedly, an average photo, at best, but I'm working on something really interesting.
Stay tuned!
The last week of March is a big week in American history. Yes, I know it's April, but a few other blog entries needed to be published first.
The last week of March was when we saw the Reagan assassination attempt, Three Mile Island, and the 1973 debut of the "$10,000 Pyramid." The latter was a television game changer. Big, brassy theme, imposing set, big money for daytime television in those days, Dick Clark... I loved it the first time I saw it. I missed the debut by a few days, but I was home sick from school later that week. Rob Reiner was one of the celebrity guests that first week. Years later, I read where he thought she show would flop because it was too easy. Except for a few gaps, Pyramid has been on the air for fifty years.
The last week of March 2023 also marked the demolition of the Plotkin Shoes building at Penn and Linden in downtown Scranton. I'm sorry I wasn't there for the beginning of the demolition, so these photos will have to suffice.
To get you up to speed, fire heavily damaged the building back on a December night in 2020. It was too far gone to save. It had to come down.
I don't recall ever being inside. Still, watching the demolition crew pick it apart made me sad. Someone lost a business. Scranton lost a landmark. I think of all the shoes purchased there, who wore them, where they've traveled. Work shoes and boots were a specialty. I wonder what building projects those shoes, and the people in them, worked on.
I don't know what's planned for the lot. I suspect parking, at least for a little while. A city can never have enough parking.
Tires replace shoes at Penn and Linden.
What's happened in the last 51 years? There are a ton of community clean ups this weekend and I think that's great. The amount of litter along highways amazes and saddens me. People think nothing of flicking cigarette butts out car windows-- everywhere, even parking lots, where there are trash cans in front of just about every store.
There has been progress. We recycle more. We are more cognizant of our carbon footprint. New technology, like LED bulbs, save energy. Just about everything is more efficient. It's a good thing.
On the other hand, it does seem as if we've been arguing about the same things for 51 years, with little movement. I should be happy that at least we have a debate, and discussions are always a plus.
Be kind to your planet, tomorrow and every day.
Oh I've been so blind
I've wasted time
I never had a spring break in college. Going south meant McDonald's in South Scranton. That's as far as I made it. When I was off, I was working at WARM and the college radio station, and I was fine with that. Work was fun. It still is.
In fact, I didn't even go on my high school class trip. Disney didn't appeal to me in 1979. The same is true 44 years later.
As I always say when vacation weeks approach, I have no plans. I'll catch up on some sleep, and I really hope to get in some camera therapy.
The weekend morning broadcasts are in great hands, and we'll talk again tomorrow.
It's like "Jeopardy!" but faster. Contestants are shown a three part question. You pick the one you know. The first one who buzzes in gets first choice. In the final round, you can answer all three, if you can.
The producers miss the mark, badly, on the remake. John Michael Higgins does a great job on "America Says." He runs this show way too slowly. Higgins needs to sit down and watch old videos of Tom Kennedy hosting "Split Second." There is a reason the show is called "Split Second." It's all in the pacing. The remake has none.
The bonus round on the original could have netted you a car. Now, it's $10,000 and it's way too easy. In fact, all the questions, from beginning to end, are way too easy.
All in all, it's not a bad way to spend a half hour, but the new "Split Second" could be so much better.
I love radio, and I was lucky enough to do it for a long time. I have been on the air since I was 17, if you count the Marywood College experience. I drew a paycheck from WARM 590 from April 1981 to September 1991. I still spend much more time listening to radio than watching television.
There was a little freelance work on a now defunct station in the early 90's.
Having said all of that, I jump at the chance to do radio guest appearances.
I've been a guest on WILK a couple of times. This past Thursday, I did an hour on Froggy 101, with Doc and Chewy.
As far as I'm concerned, the jury is still out. I remain a professional skeptic. A lot of things have to fall in to place first.
Be that as it may, Amtrak trains do stop by once in a while. This one made a visit to Steamtown in Scranton way back in 2009. It is an impressive sight.
I took this shot in early March. We needed someplace different to report from during a minor snow storm. Jim Thorpe in Carbon County fit the bill. We rarely get there for the morning broadcast. Plus, this is simply a pretty town.
Railroads are a big part of Mauch Chunk/Jim Thorpe history. This one was parked in the midle of town on that snowy morning.
I've been around trains a fair deal. It's all a matter of perspective. At Steamtown, for example, the locomotives are way out in the open. Here in Jim Thorpe, they are close to streets, buildings, the station, cars and trucks whizzing by...
It's a different sense of scale. Standing up close, you get a feel for the huge size of these monsters.
I used to be. A long time ago.
The Steelers was my team. Then, the team made a personnel decision that defied analysis. I couldn't support the team and I was gone. For good. In a puff of smoke. Ciao!
Having established that foundation, this is the first year You Tube has the NFL Sunday Ticket. The NFL's contract with Direct TV was up, and the league got a better deal from You Tube.
You Tube announced its pricing structure this week. It wasn't cheap in the Direct TV days. You Tube carries on the tradition.
The NFL isn't alone. Sports leagues seem to enjoy soaking the consumers. High ticket prices, parking, food, souvenirs, and now, television.
I didn't expect the NFL to give it away. Nor should they. But, there comes a time when consumers need a break, especially with a faltering economy.
Hey, if you're a big fan and you can afford it, go for it.
The free games are good enough for me.
I just don't understand social media.
Why is it, when you look at one cat picture, you are suddenly bombarded with cat pictures? I don't really mind that. I like kitties.
Discussions are nice. Nastiness isn't. There is a lot of nasty.
People seem compelled to tell you about, and show you, their lunch and their dancing abilities.
Everyone thinks they're a meteorologist.
People spend more time posting from shows and concerts than watching the actual show or concert.
Losing my blue checkmark doesn't bother me.
I should add that I'm still fascinated that this blog gets a few hundred hits every day. Thank you! I never really considered the blog to be "social media." It's just a little newspaper-esque column that you can check from time to time.
In the meantime, I'll try to learn a little more.
I recently whined about a 24 hour drug store turning off its self serve check outs. The reason-- theft. Well, apparently the store is re-thinking its policy. One one recent visit, both machines were off with the signs saying they were unavailable only from midnight to 6 am. It was slightly different on the next visit. No signs. One machine turned on. The other was off.
The NCAA basketball tournament final rating was way down. I'm guessing it was the lack of a marquee match up.
Reaction to Bishop James Timlin's death has been mixed. It has been proven Timlin could have helped keep children safe from molestation, but didn't. Some look at other aspects of Timlin's life. This one, friends, is up to you.
Baseball's rules tweaks appear to be going well so far. I'll have more on that during a mid season review.
Some municipalities around here are slow to fill potholes, and it's a sloppy job when it does happen. A utility project has much of my little town ripped up.
David Letterman turns 76 today. I consider Dave to be a close second to Johnny Carson when it comes to late night talents. Tom Snyder and Craig Ferguson aren't far behind.
I'm glad so many of you enjoyed the Scranton umbrella photos-- not just here, but on television as well. You still have a couple more weeks to see it.
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| Diocese of Scranton |
I met Bishop Timlin several times over the years. I found him to be a polite, courteous man who seemed a little uncomfortable in the spotlight. Now it can be told. One afternoon, Timlin confessed to me that he wasn't thrilled with all the attention paid to him during Scranton's annual St. Patrick's Parade.
Bishop Timlin held a news conference on an afternoon in 1984, after Democratic vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro campaigned in Scranton. The bishop wasn't happy a strong pro choice candidate was on his turf. The network news people were there, and Timlin got roughed up at that news conference pretty good. I'm sure that in Timlin's heart of hearts, he regretted it. Many of us felt, at the time, Timlin was attempting to achieve a big media footprint as his immediate predecessor John O'Connor had done. O'Connor was a master in front of cameras and microphones. They were big shoes to fill. Some would say "impossible."
It is no secret that news organizations prepare obituaries in advance. Bishop Timlin was my assignment years ago. Dear readers, this one wasn't easy. Fortunately, WNEP had extensive video of Timlin's time as bishop-- the ups and the downs. It was a struggle to find the right tone. Here was a beloved figure in his community who clearly had made some major mistakes. I won't go in to it chapter and verse. It's a well known fact that Bishop Timlin didn't do enough to protect children during his watch. A grand jury found proof of that. Timlin's own diocese admitted it. It could not be overlooked. It should not be overlooked. It should never be forgotten.
There is an arc with obituaries. The initial entries are usually mostly positive. A critical analysis follows, warts and all. However, there could be no discussion of Bishop James Timlin, at any time, without noting his failures. Insensitive? Maybe. Honesty and integrity? Always.
I don't recall exactly when I started writing the obituary that first aired Sunday evening. It was years ago, but I do remember all the revisions and tweaking, all the discussions with management for their input and approval, all the photographers and editors who searched through the archives and put it all together. Thank you, all.
It goes beyond the child sex abuse scandal. Timlin should have been closing churches and schools as the need lessened. He didn't. Bishop Joseph Martino came in after Timlin retired, and he was forced to swing the axe to clean up the mess. I will concede that Martino really appeared to lack compassion in the process.
When the history books are written, the legacy of Bishop James Timlin will be his failures more than his successes.
Bishop Timlin was 95 years old.
Today is the day you can't buy a print edition of a local newspaper.
Not Scranton.
Not Wilkes-Barre.
Not Hazleton.
Not Pottsville.
Not happy.
People just don't buy print editions of newspapers the way they once did. Advertisers are finding other ways to get their message across. Costs keep rising.
I fear this is just the beginning.
Yes, there are internet versions of all the papers that have given up on Mondays. It's not the same. There is nothing like the pre dawn "thump" of the newspaper hitting the front porch, peeling it open to learn what you didn't know the day before...
I'm sure there is great frustration because the presses will not roll as one of the major stories of the year, the death of Bishop James Timlin, develops.
Times change, and not necessarily for the better.
This is another shot of the umbrellas over Bogart Court in downtown Scranton.
I took this picture on the bridge leading from a plaza to a park along the railroad tracks.
I really like the shot you see above. It evokes a big city feel even though you are in a small city
You never know what you will find around the corner.
I took this photograph Wednesday morning, March 29. The owner of three downtown Scranton buildings strung up these umbrellas over the 500 block of Bogart Court. It runs parallel to Lackawanna Avenue.
I read about the project in the days prior to my arrival. I thought, cute but what is the big deal about a bunch of umbrellas over an alley?
I knew I was wrong seconds after I saw them.
It was a perfect morning. Brilliant sunshine, Blue sky, and the alley dotted with color.
Things like this add life to a city. Thank you, Frank Dubas.
It's the view from above tomorrow.
It was always a feast for the senses.
I can see the big pot of steamy boiling eggs in the days leading up to Easter, and the smell of the flowers.
My aunt's home smelled of freshly baked bread when I would stop by to pick up some in the days leading up to the holiday.
The aroma of my father's beer basted ham in the oven will stay in my mind forever. The crinkle of the cellophane to reveal the candy within.
We've had a lot of cold and snowy Easters, but we've had some great weather days, too. Green grass. Sunshine. Robins on the lawn... This is a wonderful time of year.
Please, remember what the season is all about.
It began as a story in the Harrisburg newspaper, and it was picked up by outlets across the state. There is yet another move for open primaries in Pennsylvania. In other words, independents can vote in Democratic and Republican primaries. Pennsylvania is one of only nice states that has closed primaries.
A powerful state senator vows to block any attempts to open primaries, and he has the ability to stand in the way.
I can see the argument for closed primaries. It gives each party additional control of the candidates who pass the primary challenge.
There is also a good argument for Pennsylvania becoming like most of the rest of the U.S.A.
No matter where you come down on this, you should share your opinion with your legislators. The skeptic in me feels it will likely be a waste of time, but it can't hurt.
I worry about everything-- the cats, the house, the family. while I'm away. It's not rational. Everyone and everything is in great hands. I just can't enjoy myself. I'm happier with jaunts around town and some serious napping.
In a lot of ways, I'm just a big ball of anxiety.
Here is a partial list of my worries:
--the banking crisis
--expansion of the war in Ukraine
--China's aggressiveness
--inflation
--the weather
--Covid-19
--violence and crime
--the health of family and friends
--the economy
I could be here for days.
Don't be like me.
Enjoy! Enjoy!!
I read the affidavit of probably cause filed by police and the district attorney's office. It made a bad situation even worse.
The common thread running through it is drugs. Specifically, heroin. Most of the people connected to this case used heroin, sold heroin, or hung around with users and dealers.
I'm sure a defense attorney will have a field day with this if and when the case comes to trial. Just about every prosecution witness has a cloud over their heads. There will be credibility issues.
It was once said that you can't cast a play in hell and expect angels for actors.
Of course, there is more here than the recollection of people in the drug trade. Police have DNA evidence, as well as cell phone data that places the accused at the scenes of the crime-- the bar/restaurant and the location of the body discovery.
However, it was shocking to read the extent of our area's drug trade and how these people operated. Their activities weren't much of a secret. If you wanted heroin, you knew who to see.
It started with drugs. It ended in murder.
Any potato chip is a good potato chip, but I love the crunch of kettle cooked.
Are there better aromas than baking bread, a newly mown lawn, or bacon?
The gun control debate is for others. However, the school shootings break your heart.
I still can't find a decent ketchup.
The blessing of "Jeopardy" is its simplicity and its celebration of knowledge.
New Pepsi logo: I like it!
I can't get excited over the NCAA basketball tournament championship game. But then again, I never do.
Cruise? Pass!
I can't believe the cost of a tiny pocket park in downtown Scranton.
Even bad french fries are good.
I like my toast on the light side.
I miss parking meters, and with reasonable rates.
You can actually pronounce the hurricanes on this year's Atlantic list.
I like Elton John's "Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road" more each time I hear it.
Most of my trips to Steamtown in Scranton are on weekday mornings. I'm not around when the steam engines are fired up for excursions. I got really lucky on a late December weekend. While burning off some vacation time, I happened to be there when this engine was sending smoke and steam in to the blue winter sky.
The low winter sun angle wasn't my friend, and that's why the shot is from the back and the side. A preferable "head on" shot would have had me pointing the camera directly into the sun. Not good.
While the shot is far from perfect, I have a feeling you'll be seeing it in my year end review.
These D&L beauties were parked near Steamtown and the Lackawanna County Intermodal Transportation Center on a recent day. Yes, there is snow on the ground. This weekend's shots have been in the queue for a while.
They are not the most colorful items in the D&L arsenal, but the grey and red do work for me.